AM: Commodore’s Cup  6

On a brilliantly sunny morning with a gentle wind no less than twenty 
one boats set off on a beat to the West mark.  So eager to start were the 
racers that a lot of boats were across the start line before the start horn, 
necessitating Jane Anderson as Officer of the Day to rush down the 
pontoon waving a huge Blue Peter aloft like an avenging wraith.  Ten 
minutes later the race finally started with Sue Murray crewed by son 
Mark in the Topper Trez getting a storming start on the starboard tack. 
Roger Ford and crew Val in the Wayfarer soon established a handsome 
lead with Neil Wallace and crew Nicky chasing hard to catch them.
John Buckett sailing his usual crafty race, found an excellent wind lift 
and making the most of it put his Otter well above station into third place.
The wind then suddenly died and in the process left those still to round 
West at a serious disadvantage and making the gybe at Zebra mark a very 
slow and lazy motion.( Gybes in heavy winds can cause racers capsize 
problems!)

At the end of the first lap Neil and Nicky had managed to poach the lead 
from Roger and Val with Bob Samson and light weather crew Megan 
Higgs in the RS200 going well to move up into third. Jane Chadney and 
Derek Farnfield were also making the most of the shifting wind 
opportunities.  Mike Ford profited from a debacle at Dam Green mark to 
move his Solo up to 6th position whilst Simon Veal and Roger Heasman 
carried out frustrated 720 degree turns after contact and verbals at the 
mark.  The breeze kept suddenly change direction and this gave the 
Toppers of Stephanie Clark and John and Vicki Duncalf an interesting if 
stultifying race, as they kept on swapping places.  With the second lap 
taking thirty three minutes Jane Anderson made the wise decision to 
shorten the course from four laps to three to release the racers from the 
clutches of a fickle lake.

Results: 

1st Neil Wallace and Nicky Buckett (Wayfarer)
2nd Roger Ford and Val Shillito (Wayfarer)
3rd Sue and Mark Murray (Topper Trez)
4th Bob Sampson and Megan Higgs (RS200)
5th John Buckett (Otter)
6th Derek Farnfield (Streaker)
7th Mike Ford (Solo)
8th Jane Chadney (Laser)
9th Katherine Muller (Laser Radial)
10th Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
11th John Chandler (Bosun)
12th David Higgs (Laser)
13th Simon Veal (Laser)
14th John Savage (Solo)
15th John Duncalf (Topper)
16th Stephanie Clark (Topper)
17th Alan Comber and John Weller (Enterprise)
18th Roger Heasman (Laser)
19th Alan Tobias and Christine Marshall (Bosun)
Hugh Norris (Mirror), Adeney Pooler (Graduate) rtd

Lunchtime: Peter Pocock Novice Series.

Six young hopefuls took to the water to improve their racing skills for the 
first race in the series. Annabelle Rademaker in the slower Optomist 
dinghy was crewed for moral support by her mother, whilst her sister 
Liselotte had her father crewing to help guide her round the course.
Bets at the start would have been on Emily Veal as the most experienced, 
however Emily got a very poor start and had to chase hard to finish 
second.  Megan Higgs got the best start and sailed well to maintain 
position throughout the race. Daan Rademaker also starting well in 
second however unfortunately for Daan, sister Willemyn stormed past 
him at the last mark to grab third at the finish. On the day the parental 
crewing didn’t seem to work for Annabelle and Liselotte who perhaps 
need to re-think the tactics!

Results: 

1st Megan Higgs (Pico)
2nd Emily Veal (Pico)
3rd Willemyn Rademaker (Pico)
4th Daan Rademaker (Pico)
5th Liselotte Rademaker (Pico)
6th Annabelle Rademaker (Optomist)

PM: Pursuit Race 3

With the Toppers of Vicki and John Duncalf acting as the hares for the 
hounds, the pursuit race got off to an ignoble start with a collision and 
resultant penalty turns between husband and wife.  John Chandler keen to 
get a good start in his Bosun, came close inshore and in the process 
tangled with the launching Lasers of Jane Anderson and Roger Heasman. 
Toby in the other Bosun started well and Derek Farnfield in the Streaker 
also took off quickly.  The sense of urgency to chase down the hares then 
seemed to cause a sense of panic as six boats then each started a minute 
early and were subsequently disqualified. 

The race ended with Roger Ford and Val Shillito in the Wayfarer having 
streaked through the field to pass all the other boats and claim first place.
John Buckett finished second with Derek Farnfield third. A tie for fifth 
place was proclaimed between Vicki Duncalf and Jane Chadney.   Nicky 
Buckett, the club Commodore, got egg on her face by losing control of 
the safety boat and colliding with the pontoon!

Results: 

1st Roger Ford and Val Shillito (Wayfarer)
2nd John Buckett (Otter)
3rd Derek Farnfield (Streaker)
4th John Savage (Solo)
5th= Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
5th= Jane Chadney (Laser)
7th David Higgs (Laser)
8th Alan Tobias and Christine Marshall (Bosun)
9th John Chandler (Bosun) 
10th Jane Anderson (Laser)
11th Paul Whybrow (Solo)
12th Roger Heasman (Laser)
13th John Duncalf (Topper)     
Simon Veal (Laser), Emily Veal (Laser 4.7), Bob Sampson and Meg Higgs (RS200), Mike Ford (Solo), Adeney Pooley and Georgie Veal (Graduate), John Weller and Alan Comber Enterprise) dsq